Roman Soldier, Tell Us True

Children

Roman sol­dier

tell us true

What sort of a watch on guard are you?

The se­pul­cher

seal­èd safe at night

How came it emp­ty at morn­ing light?

Roman Sol­dier

Why

Pet­er and An­drew

James and John

They came by night

re­moved the stone

And long be­fore the break of day

They stole His bo­dy far away.

Children

Fie

old Ro­man

why tell a lie?

For Christ is ris­en

Christ is ris­en in­deed.

Hallelujah

hal­le­lu­jah

hal­le­lu­jah

Amen.

Children

Roman sol­dier

tell us

then

Why slew you not those thiev­ing men?

Were a few un­arm­èd Jews too hard

For a vet­er­an

mail clad Ro­man guard?

Roman Sol­dier

O no! you Jews we nev­er fear;

But we had no chance for sword or spear

For up so soft­ly did they creep

While we were all of us fast asleep.

Children

Fie

old Ro­man

why tell a lie?

Children

Roman sol­dier

if you were

All fast asleep

as you de­clare

How could you know

or see

or say

Who ’twas that stole the Lord away?

Roman Soldier

Old An­nas and Cai­aphas told me so;

The truth they wished that one should know;

They gave me

there­fore

sil­ver and gold

To tell the sto­ry I have told.

Children

Fie

old Ro­man

why tell a lie?

Children

Roman sol­dier

tell no more

The stor­ies you have told be­fore—

Too fool­ish to de­ceive our youth:

But tell us now the sim­ple truth.

Roman Sol­dier

An earth­quake rolled the stone away;

Half dead with fear we Ro­mans lay:

While

like full sun­rise at mid­night

Christ rose

and glid­ed from our sight.

Children

Fie

old Ro­man

why tell a lie?

Children

Roman sol­dier

your own eyes

Have seen our Lord and God arise;

How can you

now that He is known

Still wor­ship gods of wood and stone?

Roman Sol­dier

We Ro­mans con­quer where we come;

But Christ hath pow­er to van­quish Rome:

My id­ols all I cast away—

Christ’s sol­dier till my dy­ing day!

Children

Right

old Ro­man

fight for The Light;